• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
Arts & EntertainmentCelebrities

Taylor Swift Is the Top-Paid Celebrity of the Year

By
Tom Huddleston Jr.
Tom Huddleston Jr.
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Tom Huddleston Jr.
Tom Huddleston Jr.
Down Arrow Button Icon
July 11, 2016, 3:42 PM ET
Taylor Swift The 1989 World Tour Live In Cologne - Night 2
COLOGNE, GERMANY - JUNE 20: Taylor Swift performs live on stage during 'The 1989 World Tour' night 2 at Lanxess Arena on June 20, 2015 in Cologne, Germany. (Photo by Sascha Schuermann/Getty Images for TAS)Photograph by Sascha Schuermann — Getty Images

When Taylor Swift isn’t busy feuding with Kanye West—or navigating her latest break-up and subsequent rebound celebrity coupling—the pop star still finds the time to earn more money than any of her celeb colleagues.

That’s according to Forbes, which on Monday ranked T-Swift atop the publication’s latest Celebrity 100 list, which ranks celebs based on their earnings over the past year. Forbes reports that Swift pulled in $170 million over the past year, thanks especially to her behemoth 1989 World Tour, which beat out acts like Garth Brooks, Kenny Chesney, and the Rolling Stones to become the highest-grossing North American tour ever on its way to grossing about $250 million in ticket sales worldwide.

Swift already topped Billboard magazine’s ranking of top-earning musicians earlier this year, with Billboard‘s estimated $73.5 million in 2015 for Swift easily outpacing the second-place country star Chesney, who brought in just under $40 million. Revenue from touring made up the bulk of Billboard‘s estimates for Swift’s 2015 haul, with physical album sales and revenue from music publishing rights accounting for only $11.3 million, while streaming music revenue came in around $560,000.

While Swift has boycotted multiple streaming music services, including Spotify and, briefly, Apple Music, the singer eventually allowed her 1989 album to stream on Apple’s service last year. Now, Swift even appears in popular ads for Apple Music—video spots that surely also add to her massive earnings, along with her other high-profile endorsements, including Diet Coke, Keds, and Elizabeth Arden.

Forbes‘ 2016 ranking of the top 5 celebrities shows Taylor Swift is far ahead. Here’s the list:

  1. Taylor Swift, $170 million
  2. One Direction, $110 million
  3. Author James Patterson, $95 million
  4. Self-help TV host, Dr. Phil (tied), $88 million
  5. Soccer star, Cristiano Ronaldo, (tied) $88 million
  6. Comedian Kevin Hart, $87.5 million
  7. Radio host Howard Stern, $85 million
  8. Soccer star Lionel Messi, $81.5 million
  9. Adele, $80.5 million
  10. Conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh, $79 million
About the Author
By Tom Huddleston Jr.
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Arts & Entertainment

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
Fortune Secondary Logo
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Arts & Entertainment

ticketmaster
LawAntitrust
DOJ rips into Ticketmaster monopoly in court: ‘today, the concert ticket industry is broken’
By Larry Neumeister and The Associated PressMarch 3, 2026
8 hours ago
triceratops
InvestingAuction
Billionaires’ latest luxury asset class is dinosaur bones, boosted by Pharrell’s new auction platform
By R.J. Rico and The Associated PressMarch 3, 2026
13 hours ago
wolfgang
CommentaryLeadership
Europe doesn’t lack tech talent. Its leaders lack execution
By Wolfgang OelsMarch 3, 2026
16 hours ago
Photo of a young man holding a smartphone having his face scanned
LawSocial Media
Social media companies are fighting the ‘age verification trap’ as collecting biometrics on kids violates privacy rights
By Catherina GioinoMarch 2, 2026
1 day ago
scream
Arts & EntertainmentBox office
‘Scream 7’ rides millennial slasher nostalgia to $64.1 million opening at box office
By Jake Coyle and The Associated PressMarch 2, 2026
2 days ago
roger
Arts & EntertainmentBook Excerpt
Scenes from the 2010 World Cup: Men in Blazers’ Roger Bennett recalls the journey from niche podcast to soccer trailblazer
By Roger BennettMarch 2, 2026
2 days ago

Most Popular

placeholder alt text
Economy
Interest on the $38.8 trillion national debt has tripled since 2020, and it already costs taxpayers more than defense and Medicaid
By Nick LichtenbergMarch 2, 2026
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Middle East
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard controls a sprawling business empire that dominates the economy
By Jason MaMarch 2, 2026
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Middle East
U.S. military gives Iran a taste of its own medicine with cheap copycat Shahed drones, while concern shifts to munitions supply in extended conflict
By Jason MaMarch 1, 2026
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Personal Finance
Current price of gold as of March 2, 2026
By Danny BakstMarch 2, 2026
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Personal Finance
Current price of silver as of Tuesday, March 3, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerMarch 3, 2026
13 hours ago
placeholder alt text
AI
American schools weren’t broken until Silicon Valley used a lie to convince them they were—now reading and math scores are plummeting
By Sasha RogelbergMarch 1, 2026
2 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.